Alphamin Resources has posted record quarterly earnings as stronger tin prices boosted profit, giving the miner fresh momentum to expand its search for more tin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).The company said on Tuesday it expects earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) of $167m (R2.75bn) for the quarter to end-June, its highest on record and 6% higher than the previous quarter.The stronger earnings came even as production remained broadly unchanged at just more than 5,000 tonnes of tin for the quarter. Alphamin said this kept it on track to meet its annual production target and marked the first rolling 12-month period in which it produced 20,000 tonnes of tin.The increase in earnings was driven by higher tin prices, with the average price achieved during the quarter rising 5% from the previous three months.The higher earnings came despite rising costs. Alphamin said all-in sustaining costs increased thanks to higher fuel prices, royalties, export duties, marketing commissions and the timing of capital expenditure. Processing recoveries also eased after higher-than-normal sulphide levels in the ore reduced the efficiency of the processing plant.At the same time, the miner is stepping up exploration around its Bisie mine in a bid to grow its resource base.Drilling continued at the Mpama North and Mpama South deposits during the quarter, with several holes intersecting visible cassiterite, the main tin-bearing mineral, it said. At Mpama North, the company recorded its deepest cassiterite intersection to date, confirming that the mineralised system extends to greater depths.At Mpama South, three completed drill holes intersected visible cassiterite mineralisation, including one that the company described as the most significant new intersection in the current drilling programme.Beyond drilling, Alphamin said it completed an airborne electromagnetic survey across its licence area in June and has started a large soil sampling programme. It has also deployed downhole geophysical equipment to help identify additional drilling targets.The company plans to continue drilling between Mpama North and Mpama South, extend drilling beyond known faults and update its mineral resource and reserve estimates in the fourth quarter.Alphamin ended June with net cash of $91m, down from the previous quarter after paying $160m in distributions to shareholders and minority investors, as well as corporate taxes. It said it expects to decide on an interim dividend for the 2026 financial year in the fourth quarter.Operations continued normally during the quarter despite an Ebola outbreak elsewhere in the northeastern DRC, with no reported cases in the Walikale health zone where the mine operates.Business Day